Amos 3
Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh Speaks Against Israel
3 Hear this word which Yahweh has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire [a](A)family which [b]He brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,
2 “(B)You only have I known among all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will [c](C)punish you for all your iniquities.”
3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an [d]appointment?
4 Does a (D)lion roar in the forest when it has no prey?
Does a young lion give forth its voice from its den unless it has captured something?
5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no [e]bait in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
6 If a (E)trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?
If a (F)calamity happens in a city has not Yahweh done it?
7 [f]Surely Lord Yahweh does nothing
Unless He (G)reveals His secret counsel
To His slaves the prophets.
8 A (H)lion has roared! Who will not fear?
(I)Lord Yahweh has spoken! (J)Who can but prophesy?
9 Make it heard on the citadels in (K)Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Gather yourselves on the (L)mountains of Samaria and see the great confusions within her and the (M)oppressions in her midst. 10 But they (N)do not know how to do what is right,” declares Yahweh, “these who (O)hoard up [g]violence and devastation in their citadels.”
11 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh,
“An (P)adversary, even one surrounding the land,
Will pull down your [h]strength from you,
And your (Q)citadels will be plundered.”
12 Thus says Yahweh,
“Just as the shepherd (R)delivers from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,
So will the sons of Israel inhabiting Samaria be delivered—
With the (S)corner of a bed and the [i](T)cover of a couch!
13 Hear and (U)testify against the house of Jacob,”
Declares Lord Yahweh, the God of hosts.
14 “For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions,
I will also punish the altars of (V)Bethel;
The horns of the altar will be cut in pieces,
And they will fall to the ground.
15 I will also strike the [j](W)winter house together with the (X)summer house;
The houses of [k](Y)ivory will also perish,
And the (Z)great houses will come to an end,”
Declares Yahweh.
Amos 3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment
3 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:(A)
2 You only have I known
of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish you
for all your iniquities.(B)
3 Do two walk together
unless they have made an appointment?(C)
4 Does a lion roar in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from its den
if it has caught nothing?(D)
5 Does a bird fall into a snare on the earth
when there is no trap for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground
when it has taken nothing?
6 Is a trumpet blown in a city,
and the people are not afraid?
Does disaster befall a city
unless the Lord has done it?(E)
7 Surely the Lord God does nothing
without revealing his secret
to his servants the prophets.(F)
8 The lion has roared;
who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken;
who can but prophesy?(G)
9 Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod
and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt,
and say, “Assemble yourselves on Mount[a] Samaria,
and see what great tumults are within it
and what oppressions are in its midst.”(H)
10 They do not know how to do right, says the Lord,
those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.(I)
11 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
An adversary shall surround the land
and strip you of your defense,
and your strongholds shall be plundered.(J)
12 Thus says the Lord: As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who live in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part[b] of a bed.(K)
13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,
says the Lord God, the God of hosts:(L)
14 On the day I punish Israel for its transgressions,
I will punish the altars of Bethel,
and the horns of the altar shall be cut off
and fall to the ground.
15 I will tear down the winter house as well as the summer house,
and the houses of ivory shall perish,
and the great houses[c] shall come to an end,
says the Lord.(M)
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.